Stability Assessment of Slopes Using Different Factoring Strategies
Publication: Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
Volume 138, Issue 9
Abstract
Traditional slope stability analysis delivers the factor of safety with respect to shear strength, which is the factor by which must be reduced to bring a slope to the point of failure. In the present paper, alternative strategies are considered to include the factors by which destabilizing parameters, such as pore pressures and gravitational loads, must be increased to bring a slope to the point of failure. The approach described gives a more comprehensive insight into the stability of slopes and the sensitivity of failure to different input parameters. Finally, the practical use of the alternative factoring strategies is illustrated through two application examples referring to a slope under different loading combinations (pore-pressure ratio and horizontal seismic coefficient).
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Acknowledgments
The writers wish to acknowledge the support of NSF Grant No. CMMI-0970122 on “GOALI: Probabilistic Geomechanical Analysis in the Exploitation of Unconventional Resources” for this research carried out at the Colorado School of Mines. The support of KGHM Cuprum, Wrocław, Poland through the Framework 7 EU project on “Industrial Risk Reduction” is also recognized.
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Published In
Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
Volume 138 • Issue 9 • September 2012
Pages: 1158 - 1160
Copyright
© 2012 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Aug 16, 2011
Accepted: Nov 29, 2011
Published online: Dec 1, 2011
Published in print: Sep 1, 2012
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